8 Weeks Pregnant: Everything You Need to Know

Quick answer

At 8 weeks your baby is about the size of a raspberry, roughly 1.4 to 2 centimetres long, with a heartbeat running at around 150 to 170 beats a minute. You will not be showing yet. Nausea usually peaks in the next week or two, then starts to ease. The two things to do now are keep taking folic acid and book your NT scan for 11 to 13 weeks plus 6 days.

Key takeaways

• Your baby is about the size of a raspberry, and this is one of the fastest weeks of development in the entire pregnancy.

• You will not have a bump at 8 weeks. Your uterus is still inside your pelvis, so any roundness is bloating.

• Sleep in whatever position is comfortable. Side-sleeping guidance applies from around 28 weeks, not now.

• Book the NT scan now for 11 weeks 0 days to 13 weeks 6 days. It cannot be measured accurately outside that window and slots fill up.

• Report any spotting to your doctor, even if it is light and even if you feel completely well.

How big is your baby at 8 weeks?

Ranges vary between charts and machines, and your scan is what dates the pregnancy accurately. Ask your doctor to interpret your measurements rather than comparing them with a table online.

What is developing this week

• The heart is beating strongly and has divided into chambers

• Fingers and toes are present but still webbed, and beginning to separate

• Eyelids are forming over the developing eyes

• The nose and upper lip are taking shape

• The tongue, taste buds and inner ear are developing

• Arms and legs are lengthening, and elbows are appearing

• The brain is growing rapidly, and the head is large relative to the body

• Major organs including the lungs, kidneys and intestines are forming

• The embryonic tail is disappearing

• Reproductive organs are beginning to form, though sex cannot be determined at this stage

Your baby is moving now, though far too small for you to feel. That usually comes between 18 and 22 weeks in a first pregnancy.

Your body at 8 weeks

You will almost certainly not be showing. Your uterus is roughly the size of a lemon or small orange and is still sitting inside your pelvis. It does not rise above the pubic bone until around 12 weeks.

If your abdomen looks fuller, that is bloating from progesterone slowing your digestion, not your baby. Bloating typically looks worse in the evening and better in the morning, which a real bump does not. Our guide to what is normal at 10 weeks explains this in more detail, and the same applies now.

Most first-time mothers start showing between 12 and 16 weeks. In a second or later pregnancy it is often earlier, because the abdominal muscles have stretched before.

Symptoms at 8 weeks

Having very few symptoms is also normal, and it says nothing about how the pregnancy is going.

Spotting or bleeding at 8 weeks

Light spotting happens in some pregnancies and is often harmless. It can come from a sensitive cervix, which has more blood supply now and sometimes bleeds after sex or an internal examination, or from a small collection of blood beside the sac called a subchorionic haematoma, which usually resolves on its own.

But it can also indicate something that needs attention, so the rule is simple.

• Report any bleeding to your doctor, however light, even brown discharge, and even if you feel completely well

• Use a pad, not a tampon, so the amount and colour can be assessed

• Note the colour and how much

Go to hospital immediately if bleeding comes with:

• Severe abdominal pain, especially on one side

• Pain at the tip of your shoulder

• Faintness, dizziness or collapse

• Heavy bleeding, soaking a pad in an hour, or passing clots

That combination can indicate an ectopic pregnancy, which is a medical emergency.

Your scan at 8 weeks

Not everyone has a scan at exactly 8 weeks. It is commonly done between 6 and 12 weeks, and earlier if you have had bleeding, pain, previous miscarriages, a previous ectopic pregnancy, or fertility treatment.

What your report may mention:

• Gestational sac, the fluid-filled sac around your baby

• Yolk sac, a small ring inside it

• Fetal pole, your baby

• Crown rump length (CRL), the most accurate way to date a pregnancy in the first trimester

• Fetal heart rate, or cardiac activity present

• Intrauterine, meaning the pregnancy is inside the uterus, which is what you want to see

If the scan dates you a few days behind your own dates, that usually means you ovulated later than assumed, not that anything is wrong. The scan is more accurate than your last period for dating. Our guide to reading an early pregnancy scan report explains each measurement.

One legal point: determining or disclosing the sex of the baby is illegal in India under the PCPNDT Act. No scan centre will answer that question at any stage.

Blood tests at your first antenatal visit

If you have not yet registered, book now, aiming for before 12 weeks. These are the tests usually done at the first visit.

Your doctor may add others depending on your history and your region.

In India, antenatal care is free at government health facilities, and free check-ups are offered under Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan on the ninth of each month. Your ASHA or ANM worker can help with registration.

Sleeping position at 8 weeks

Any position is fine right now, including on your back and on your stomach. Your uterus is still inside your pelvis and nothing is being compressed.

Side-sleeping guidance applies from around 28 weeks, not from the first trimester. A great many women lose sleep worrying about this unnecessarily in early pregnancy.

What actually helps now:

• Go to bed earlier, because first trimester fatigue is real

• Keep a snack and water by the bed for night-time nausea

• Expect to wake to urinate, which is normal from early pregnancy

• Nap when you can

Eating at 8 weeks

You do not need extra calories yet. The first trimester requires no additional energy, which surprises most people. Extra needs begin in the second trimester.

Focus on quality: protein at every meal, dal, curd, paneer, eggs, vegetables, fruit, whole grains and nuts. Eat small amounts often rather than three large meals, which is easier with nausea.

If nausea means you eat badly for a few weeks, that is acceptable. Your baby's nutritional needs are small at this stage. Keep taking folic acid and eat what you can keep down.

Foods to avoid:

• Unpasteurised milk and products made from it, including loose paneer and khoya of uncertain origin

• Raw or undercooked eggs and meat

• Raw or undercooked fish and shellfish

• High-mercury fish such as shark, swordfish and king mackerel

• Animal liver, which is very high in vitamin A

• Cut fruit and salads left standing, particularly from roadside vendors

• Raw sprouts and unwashed produce

• Alcohol, entirely

• Caffeine above about 200 mg a day, roughly two cups of coffee

• Concentrated herbal and unregulated Ayurvedic preparations

Most traditionally forbidden foods are safe. Pineapple, ripe papaya, drumstick and sesame do not cause miscarriage, as our guide on foods and miscarriage explains.

What to do this week

1. Take folic acid, 400 micrograms daily through the first 12 weeks. A higher dose applies to some women, including those with diabetes, epilepsy on certain medications, a high BMI, or a previous baby with a neural tube defect, so ask your doctor. Iron and folic acid tablets are provided free at government health facilities.

2. Register for antenatal care if you have not already, aiming for before 12 weeks.

3. Book the NT scan for 11 weeks 0 days to 13 weeks 6 days.

4. Review every medicine and supplement with your doctor, bringing the actual packets. Include Ayurvedic, homeopathic and gym products.

5. Stop alcohol and all forms of tobacco, including gutkha, khaini and second-hand smoke.

6. Keep moving. In an uncomplicated pregnancy, around 150 minutes of moderate activity across the week is recommended. Walking counts.

Our guides to the first trimester and 14 practical things that make it easier cover the wider picture.

Exercise, travel and daily life

• Exercise is recommended in an uncomplicated pregnancy, not merely permitted. Walking, swimming and prenatal yoga all work. Avoid contact sports, fall risk and overheating

• Travel is usually fine. Discuss longer journeys with your doctor

• Sex is safe unless you have bleeding, placenta praevia, or your doctor has advised otherwise

• Dental treatment is safe and should not be postponed

• Avoid hot tubs, saunas and very hot baths, since raising your core temperature is not advisable

• Paracetamol is the usual first-line painkiller. Avoid NSAIDs such as ibuprofen and diclofenac, including pain balms and sprays, from 20 weeks and check earlier use with your doctor

Check with your doctor before exercising if you have bleeding, a cervical stitch, placenta praevia, high blood pressure or any complication.

When to call a doctor

Contact your doctor or go to hospital immediately if you have:

• Vaginal bleeding, whether spotting or heavier

• Severe abdominal pain, especially on one side

• Pain at the tip of your shoulder, which with abdominal pain can indicate an ectopic pregnancy

• Fainting, dizziness or collapse

• Vomiting so persistent you cannot keep fluids down, or passing very little or dark urine

• Fever

• Burning urination with fever, or pain in your side

• Severe headache with visual changes

Our full guide to pregnancy symptoms sorted by urgency covers these in detail.

Book an appointment for: weight loss continuing after nausea settles, persistent low mood or anxiety, any chronic condition not yet reviewed, or anything that worries you.

A word about worry

Anxiety peaks in these weeks, particularly while waiting for a scan. Miscarriage is common in early pregnancy, and the large majority of losses are caused by chromosomal abnormalities that occur randomly at conception and cannot be prevented by anything you do or eat.

Lifting a bag, climbing stairs, working, exercising in an uncomplicated pregnancy, a stressful day or an argument do not cause miscarriage.

If anxiety is persistent or interfering with your sleep, tell your doctor. It is common, treatable, and better raised early.

Frequently asked questions

How big is a baby at 8 weeks?
Roughly 1.4 to 2 centimetres from head to bottom, about the size of a raspberry, weighing around a gram.

Can you hear the heartbeat at 8 weeks?
It is usually clearly visible on a scan by now, at roughly 150 to 170 beats a minute. Hearing it with a handheld Doppler is not usually possible until around 10 to 12 weeks.

Will I be showing at 8 weeks?
Almost certainly not. Your uterus is still inside your pelvis until around 12 weeks, so any roundness is bloating.

Is it normal to have no symptoms at 8 weeks?
Yes. Symptoms vary enormously, and having few or none says nothing about how the pregnancy is going.

What sleeping position is best at 8 weeks?
Any comfortable position, including your back and stomach. Side-sleeping guidance applies from around 28 weeks.

Is spotting at 8 weeks normal?
Light spotting happens in some pregnancies and is often harmless, but it should always be reported to your doctor. Bleeding with severe one-sided pain, shoulder tip pain or faintness needs emergency care.

When does morning sickness peak?
Usually around weeks 9 to 10, improving for most women between weeks 12 and 16.

Do I need extra calories now?
No. The first trimester requires no additional calories. Extra energy needs begin in the second trimester.

How many months is 8 weeks pregnant?
Two months. You are in the second month of your first trimester.

When is my next scan?
The NT scan is done between 11 weeks 0 days and 13 weeks 6 days. Book it now, because it cannot be done accurately outside that window.

The bottom line

At 8 weeks your baby is about the size of a raspberry, forming fingers, eyelids and major organs, with a heartbeat at roughly 150 to 170 beats a minute. You will not be showing, you can sleep however you like, and nausea is likely to peak in the next week or two before it eases. Keep taking folic acid, book your NT scan for the 11 to 13 week window, and report any spotting to your doctor even if you feel completely well.

Sources

• NHS, 8 weeks pregnant

• American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, how your fetus grows during pregnancy

• National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, antenatal care

• World Health Organization, recommendations on antenatal care for a positive pregnancy experience

• Fetal Medicine Foundation, nuchal translucency screening

• Indian Council of Medical Research and National Institute of Nutrition, nutrient requirements in pregnancy

• Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, maternal health guidance, Anemia Mukt Bharat and the PCPNDT Act

This article is for general information and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Seek care immediately for bleeding, severe or one-sided abdominal pain, shoulder tip pain, fainting, fever, or vomiting that prevents you keeping fluids down.

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